Unique hill race which began with a £1 bet celebrates 50th event

Cathy Gallagher, Executive Director of Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “With an intriguing history, and a stunning setting, the Dumyat Hill Race is unique to the University of Stirling, Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. 

“We are delighted to be celebrating the race’s 50th edition and it has been great to see yet another sell-out event in 2025. Decades after it was established, the Dumyat Hill Race continues to bring together students, staff, alumni, athletes and the wider community with the core message of health and wellbeing at its heart. We are proud to have reached this milestone – and look forward to another 50 years of success.”

This year’s race – which doubles as the Scottish Student Sport Hill Running Championship and the Scottish Hill Running Race – took place on the evening of Wednesday 7 May. 

Men’s winner Angus Wright, of the University of Edinburgh, came agonisingly close to beating the course record – missing out by just one second – with a time of 32 minutes, 14 seconds. Fellow University of Edinburgh runner Matt Knowles continues to hold the record after setting a time of 32 minutes, 13 seconds in 2024. 

Speaking after the race, Angus said: “It was a really nice course, and a lovely evening for it. For a hill, it’s quite fast and quite runnable – especially the descent, you can definitely get the legs moving!

“I was a bit behind at the top, but I had a really good downhill section – it was really good fun. I only realised towards the end that I was in a winning position and had a look back, and that might have cost me the course record in the end, which is a shame. But it didn’t even occur to me that was a possibility, so I’m not worrying too much.

“It was a good fun course, and I look forward to coming back next year.”

The winner of the women's race, Emily McNicol, alongside the men's winner Angus Wright, who was just one second off beating the course record.

In the women’s race, first-time hill runner Emily McNicol, of the University of Glasgow, won with a time of 38 minutes, 55 seconds. That record continues to be held by former World Mountain Running champion Dr Angela Mudge, a former student and an honorary graduate of the University of Stirling, with a time of 36 minutes, 36 seconds set in 2007.

Emily said: “It was great fun – and hard work! I’ve not ran Dumyat before; it was my first hill race, and I really enjoyed it. There were great views at the top, but it was hard coming downhill.

“Towards the end, people were shouting that I was the first female – so I just kept going. It’s quite special to be the winner in the 50th edition of the race.”

In addition to competitive runners, the event also attracts students, staff and community members alike. Daniel Færestrand Ellefsen, from Norway, is studying MSc Human Rights and Diplomacy at Stirling and decided to give the race a go. Asked about his running background, the 28-year-old joked: “There’s not actually much to tell! I’ve been running a little bit – I’ve always been athletic – and I enjoy the slow-paced tranquillity of running.

“This was a fun little challenge, right here at the University, so I thought I might as well take part.”

As part of this year’s celebrations, University of Stirling Archives teamed up with students Milla Fabbri, Matty Clapham and Maria Cormack to uncover old photographs, news articles, newsletters, and staff accounts that tell the unique story of the race. 

In the 1973 Sportrex publication, John Evans – the researcher who won the initial bet – reflected on the growth of the event following his 1971 feat. He said: “Then the professionals moved in: new routes were discovered, cutting the distance by half. Rumours persisted of supermen covering the course in 40 minutes. Ian Thomson then thought it was a good idea, and an official event was held… However, the event should not be considered particularly athletic, for the most important elements are route, planning, pacing, and navigation in the now traditional mist and downpour.”

The Campus Events newsletter of 1977 promotes the race: “The rules are simple – start, touch the cairn on Dumyat, and finish, and you get a free pint for your trouble.”

Terry Macdonald, widow of Ranald Macdonald (inset top), poses with the £1 note Ranald received on his retirement, in recognition of his contribution to the establishment of the Dumyat Hill Race. John Evans, who won the bet in 1971, is inset below.

A special reception of alumni, staff and friends of the University was held at Pathfoot Building on Wednesday to mark the 50th edition, with guests including Angus Annan, a former Stirling employee who won the race in 1979, and Terry Macdonald, widow of Ranald Macdonald.

Speaking to the University Retired Staff Association’s oral history project, Angus said: “It is a phenomenal event; it really is terrific. It's something that stands to Ranald's memory – he is no longer with us anymore, sadly - that he was the original of the Dumyat Hill Race. 

“Ian Thomson heard about the bet, heard about the run, and created the race that has stood the test of time. It is a tremendous event - great fun.”

Professor Ian Thomson, the University's first Director of Recreation, alongside Terry Macdonald, the widow of lecturer Ranald Macdonald, and Angus Annan, the 1979 race winner. 

Graeme Matheson, Sports Development Officer at the University of Stirling and organiser of the race, said: “Every year, the country’s top hill runners and members of our community are drawn to our campus to give this unique challenge a go. Alongside the health and fitness benefits, it is a fantastic way to see our scenic campus, and the surrounding landscape.

“The local running community and partner organisations give the Dumyat Hill Race their full backing every year – and, as we mark this important milestone, we thank them for their continued support.”